


The Unexplored

by Destielixer



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Bromance to Romance, London, Love, M/M, Midgard, Romance, Thor: The Dark World, Thorki - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-02
Updated: 2013-12-22
Packaged: 2017-12-31 06:45:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1028543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Destielixer/pseuds/Destielixer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SPOILERS FOR THOR: THE DARK WORLD! Loki's finally fulfilled his dream. He's got what he's always wanted but now that Thor is leaving for Midgard, Loki needs to make a decision for himself. ONESHOT, for now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: I just have too many feels after watching the movie twice. I intend to watch it a few more times (insane 'ol me) because i am such a sadist. Anyway here's something I've written. I might write more. That really depends though, so guys, do leave me some comments to let me know what you thought?

 

"I didn't do it for father…" he breathed staring up into Thor's eyes as he feels his brother's arms around him. The thunderer is trying to stop the bleeding, trying to do something. But of course it's not working. "I did it for you…" he whispers and it was the truth that he spoke. He wasn't afraid as he lay there in Thor's arms, the Midgardian woman that he so loved standing not too far away from them. How he would love to gloat at her. See how much Thor loves me, over you. He wanted to say but his eyelids were too heavy and they drooped, his last glimpse was of Thor's face and the tears that fell from his brother's cerulean blue eyes.  _'Don't cry.'_

"No!" the anguished yell tears itself from Thor's throat as his brother falls limp in his arms, "Loki," he shakes the trickster's body gently, "Loki no...please…" He swallows past the tightness in his throat as he stared down at his dead brother. After all when it came down to it, he still loved Loki, no matter what his brother had done. He had been so good on this trip, he'd kept to his word, saved Jane. He even went to the extent of protecting her and Loki had done it all for him. In the end his goodness had only gotten him killed when the Kursed pulled Loki forwards onto the blade that was stabbed through it's body.

"Loki I take back my words. I take back my words. I love you brother. I never stopped trusting you or loving you. Please...come back…" he whispers knowing that nothing he says will bring the trickster back. He'd lost Frigga, and now Loki.

"Thor we need to get going…" he raises his eyes to the voice who breaks through his grieving. Jane, stands there, clothed in Asgardian robes, she's all that he has left.

"Let me have a moment, please Jane."

She nods, "Sure."

Jane walks off, standing a little ways away from the two brothers. She watches as Thor kisses Loki on the forehead, smoothing a hand through Loki's dark hair. She is sorry that it had ended this way, sorry that Loki had to die. But secretly, a darker part of her said that it was for the better. Loki was dangerous. And having him alive was not a good thing.

Thor tears off a shred of his crimson red cloak and tied it around Loki's wrist as he folded his brother's arms clasping together.

"I will always be with you brother. I will always love you," he whispers, "I'll never forget you, Loki. I swear."

He gasps taking a huge gulp of air as he stares up at the dark ceiling of the cave. Air never felt better then when he was breathing.  _'I'll never forget you…_ ' he could still hear his brother's voice. Loki lifted his arm and found a crimson red scrap of cloth tied around his wrist. Thor's cloak, or a part of it at least. He dropped his hand back down onto his stomach. After all his brother's big words he'd still chosen Jane. The lying bastard. He hadn't even taken his body with him instead he'd left him here on Svartalfheim. "All your words of love," he scoffed as he pulled himself into a sitting position, grimacing a little, the tear in his clothes the only indication that he had gotten killed. Of course he managed to outsmart the dark elves. And Thor as well. Making his brother think that he was dead. He shifted then, taking on the image of an Asgardian soldier. He leaves, taking the same flying boat back and using the way he'd led Thor out of Asgard back home.

It's easily done, tricking Odin. Disguised as a soldier, Loki brought the All-Father, news of Thor and then told of the body that was left behind.

"Loki…" the All-Father whispered.

There was something in the way he spoke his name that made Loki freeze for a moment. Did he care? "What shall we do my liege?" he asked instead, playing the role of a soldier.

"Tell no one," the All-Father said. "Thor was there?" Odin asked.

He nods, "I'm guessing so my liege."

"His brother loved him. A lot. We all did," Odin muttered turning his back. And Loki struck then. He knocks Odin unconscious before the All-Father can say anything more. Then he quickly takes on Odin's appearance while changing that of Odin's to the guard.

With no one else in the throne room, it's easy for him to put Odin into the dungeons. He leaves him there in one of the cells and then goes back to the throne room. He now has the throne that he so desired and all the power with the All-Father's scepter. He is a ruler now even if it means that he has to take on the appearance of Odin. But it's boring really, sitting here. He still has a hunt out for Thor. He's also announced his own death.

* * *

It isn't until another two days later when Loki, in Odin's form sees Thor. The thunderer walks into the throne room, Mjolnir in his hand as he kneels. Thor expresses his sorrow over his death and his desire to go back to Midgard.

"If any one understood what being a king it would have been Loki, he knew about the sacrifices that one had to make. There were one too many times that he saved me on Svartalfheim. He was nearly destroyed by a vortex. I saved him once. Then the Kursed in it's dying moments stabbed Loki…I couldn't save him."

"And because of this you wish to go to Midgard?" Loki, still in Odin's form asks, "It is not because of the Midgardian woman Jane?"

"It is not just because of Jane, Father," Thor says as he closes his eyes, he can still see Loki's pale face, his emerald green eyes glistening with unshed tears as death stole him. Staying on Asgard would only intensify the pain. Everywhere he looked he was reminded of Loki. His little baby brother. "I cannot bear the pain," Thor spoke, his voice sounding strangled to his own ears. There was so much that he hadn't said. So much he wished that he could make right

"I have something for you Thor. Before you leave for Midgard," the All-Father told him. Thor is curious, Odin has never been one to be a gift-giver and what's more is that he's disobeying his father by going back to Midgard, so silently he follows Odin.

Loki stands in the chamber between his and Thor's room and then he drops the spell, revealing his true self once again as the appearance of Odin disappears.

"Hello brother," he says.

"Loki?" Thor's eyes widen, the breath stolen from his lungs as he stares speechless. This isn't some kind of projection, some kind of wicked trick is it?

"Thor," Loki acknowledged with a nod of his head and then looks away from him. Once again he felt vulnerable in his brother's presence.

"Hell," Thor whispered and pulled his brother into a hug. Holding him close.

Loki was startled by the sudden hug, so much so that Odin's staff clatters loudly to the ground as he lets Thor hug him. Though his grip was near hurting Loki stayed where he was in Thor's arms closing his eyes and relishing the moment with a smile on his lips. Thor's arms are warm and strong and he is really here with him. But not for long. He is going to leave for Midgard. "Thor..." he whispers against his brother's chest feeling his brother's fingers in his hair stroking it.

"I didn't think...how did you...how..." Thor asks as his voice cracked.

Loki laughed pushing against his brother's chest, in a show that he wants to leave, "I have my ways Thor," he said.

Thor loosened his grip but doesn't let Loki pull out of his arms. Loki likewise, though having pushed at his chest doesn't seem like he wants to leave anyway as he stands there in his embrace. Loki is living and breathing. By some miracle he is alive and right now Thor cannot worry about anything else but the fact that Loki is alive.

"Are you really going?" Loki asks looking to him, raising his eyes, to meet Thor's. Thor looks at him not understanding, "Back to Midgard, to Jane?" he reminds Thor.

The thunderer pauses then answers "...yes."

Loki nods "I see. Very well," he answers, his voice is clipped. He moves, a fluid movement that brings him out of his brother's arms. Loki snatches Odin's staff up from where it lay on the ground. Being king is the only thing he has left then.

"What about Odin?" Thor asked now.

Loki laughed, "Don't worry, I didn't kill him. I had him locked up. Like what he did to me"

"I see."

"Shouldn't you be leaving now?" Loki asked, he isn't actually eager to see Thor go.

"I guess?"

The trickster turns his back towards him. Looking out at Asgard as he moves to stand on the balcony. "You won't be coming back?" he asked and there is a quiver in Loki's voice, a quiver that Thor immediately picks up on.

"Why don't you come with me?" Thor asks, as he joins his brother on the balcony.

"No. It would be pointless," Loki said, "I have what I want right here," he says gripping tighter to Odin's scepter as though it will help to make his conviction for the throne stronger. He chances a look to Thor and catches the glimpse of a familiar emotion in Thor's eyes. Loneliness. Why? Didn't he have Jane?

"I will be leaving then," Thor said as he turns from the balcony. Loki follows suit watching as Thor walks back into the chambers, stopping in his tracks. It's as if Thor is waiting for him. "Are you sure that I cannot convince you to come with me?"

"No. I am a king. That has always been what I wanted. And now I have it."

There's an infinitesimal slump in Thor's shoulders at his words before the thunderer says, "I wish you well then Loki."

"And I you," Loki whispered clutching Odin's staff to him, standing his ground as Thor leaves the chambers.

He might be a king but he is alone.

And nothing hurts him more than that.


	2. Happiness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Here's the continuation. Also, I've decided to make Jane and Darcy sisters. Do read and leave me some comments! See you in the next chapter.

A trip to Midgard, to Earth…it didn’t sound quite so bad now.

Loki let the appearance of Odin fall once he was back in his room. Thor had left about four days ago. And he hadn’t heard from him since. Loki was beginning to think that maybe he should have joined Thor after all. There was a single word that kept buzzing around in his head as he took the throne each day.  _Regret_.

His pride and his conviction to keep the throne and the title of ‘king’ even under the guise of Odin had kept him from going after Thor. But it was nights like these, nights when it was cold and Loki lay looking at the ceiling of his room, that he began to think. To think of all the times that he and Thor had spent together when they were younger. Fighting and playing, running and chasing each other as Frigga watched over them.

Frigga…he hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye to her. He was still locked up in his cell when she was sent off to Valhalla. She was the only one who truly cared about him…apart from Thor. Great. His mind always seemed to go back to Thor no matter what. Loki turned on his side, looking towards the open balcony. The sky at night was beautiful and vast, shining with stars. It was magical. Loki could still remember when he and Thor were young there were times they would run out into the palace garden’s and spend the night looking up at the stars until they both fell asleep there. Then the guards would panic thinking the two princes were lost before finding them together in the gardens and bring them back to their rooms. Thor would always accompany him to bed on those nights.

Loki sighed. Damn. This isn’t helping. He gets out of bed. Loki finds himself standing in front of the mirror, changing into Midgardian garb. Jeans, a deep green sleeveless shirt, a jacket and leather fingerless gloves, with that done, Loki runs a hand through his hair and slips out of the room. He knows how to get to Midgard from here without passing by Heimdall. But first he had to free Odin. 

The trickster found himself on Midgard alone. It’s raining wherever he is. London, he notices as he sees the sign for the Underground. He pulls on the hood, covering himself from the rain. So he’s in London. London that he’s read about in books and all, he’s on Midgard but he doesn’t even know where to begin to look for Thor.

He watches as people hurriedly move across the streets, opening their umbrellas. Some are couples walking together, others are alone, just like him. The orange lamps make the street shine as the rain continues on. Loki hadn't come here with anything else but the clothes on his back. Now he needed to find Thor. He didn’t have to look far though because he felt the thunderer’s familiar aura from across the street and when he scanned the sidewalk he saw Thor coming out of a cafe with Jane and her sister Darcy. 

It reminded Loki of his younger self. He always had a problem approaching the other kids to play with them back in Asgard. He was always too shy to interrupt them so he stood off to the side on his own watching them play in the palace gardens. And right now instead of walking over, Loki stood where he was, on the other side of the road watching Thor.

He shouldn’t even be afraid of Jane or Darcy. The two Midgardian women were beneath him. With that in mind, Loki followed after them, his footsteps determined as he catches up with them. He keeps a distance, keeping to the shadows. And Darcy keeps looking behind them now and again. She seems to know that he’s following. Each time she looks Loki stops, easily morphing into something to blend in with the scenery. He manages to spook the two women, making Darcy jump and then Jane when he taps them on the shoulder and then shrouds himself, making himself invisible.

“Jane, did you feel that?” Darcy’s asking as she stops now.

“Someone tapping you?” Jane asked and Darcy nodded, “Yeah. Felt it.”

“Do you think there’s ghosts out here?” Darcy asked looking around and Loki laughs at her statement from where he stands in the shadows.

“Thor did you hear that?” Jane asked her hand on Thor’s arm as she stops the thunderer.

He’d heard the laughter all right. And for a moment it sounded familiar. It sounded like someone he knew.

“Who's there?” This time it’s Thor's deep voice that asks. And Loki smirks from where he stands in the darkness, oh how he’s missed hearing Thor speak. He strides confidently out of the shadows, hands in his pockets, his hood pulled over. Loki’s sure he looks like some kind of sinister drug peddler. He stops right before Thor and then raising his eyes, he looks right at Thor as he smoothly pulls off the hoodie and grins. 

“Loki!” his brother breaths, blinking and then staring at him as though he cannot believe that he’s here.  Which he can’t. He doesn’t know why Loki is here and dressed in Midgardian garb. He looks really good in it. 

Loki grins, liking the fact that Thor is surprised by his visit, he gives a small wave, "Brother,” then he nods to the two women in greeting, “Jane. Darcy. Hello.”

“Loki what are you doing here?” Thor asks as he moves forward, steering his brother away from the two, arm around Loki’s shoulder and pulling the younger close to him as he heads down the street in the other direction.

“Aren’t you going to say goodbye to your lady friends?” Loki asks turning behind and catching Jane and Darcy standing there watching them.

Thor gives them a casual wave of his hand and Jane waves back, “Text me when you get back Thor,” then she and Darcy walk off.

Loki raises a brow, “You don’t live with her?” he asks it’s a surprise to him because he thought that the two of them would be living together amongst other things.

“No. I have my own apartment.”

At that Loki shakes his head, “All settled in then? How long has it been?

“Two weeks here,” Thor said as he watches Loki walking on ahead.

“And how do you find it?” Loki asks

“Fine I guess. Midgardians pace their lives nice and slow. You? Why are you here?” Thor asks as he holds the door open for his younger brother, they enter the café that he had been just moments before with the two Foster sisters just now. 

Loki shrugs it off like it’s not big deal, “Thought I might pay my dear bother a visit.”

“That’s unlike you,” Thor said as he ordered two Vienna coffees. Loki following close behind him as he takes the two cups and leads them over to a booth in the corner.

“I have changed,” Loki muttered as he takes his seat opposite Thor. The beverage that Thor has ordered looks really good. It’s rich brown coloured coffee with a ton of whipped cream. “Vienna coffee?” Loki asks, looking from the drink then back to Thor and raising a brow at his brother’s choice.

“Thought you might like something sweet. You always liked sweets,” Thor said watching as Loki swiped his finger across the peak of the whipped cream and licked the pale blob of cream off his finger. 

Loki likes the taste of it and he takes another swipe at the whipped cream. Then he grabs a stirrer from the container and stirs the whipped cream into the coffee. He can feel Thor’s eyes watching him as he does this. “You have a burning question?” Loki muttered as he avoids eye contact with Thor, watching as the brown of the coffee lightens as the whipped cream is stirred in. 

“Yes. You still haven’t told me why you’re here,” Thor said, stirring his own drink.

Loki shrugs, “It got boring on Asgard,” he said. That was the half-truth. It was boring, being a king, and having a status as well as Odin’s face to deal with. “You know, keeping up appearances and all gets really tiring,” he says as he takes a sip of the coffee. The warmth flooding his body as he drinks the beverage.

Thor can tell that Loki isn’t giving him the whole truth and the thunderer doesn’t want to push it. He decides to leave it alone. Instead he asks, “How long are you going to be here?” 

“Awhile.” Loki pauses then adds, “I don’t actually know.”

“You left Asgard without a ruler?"

Loki made a show of rolling his eyes, “Am I  _that_ stupid?”

“You know you’re anything but that,” Thor added. He’s actually glad the Loki is here with him on Midgard now. Two weeks was long enough going about with the two Foster sisters, finding an apartment and all that. They were nice company yes, but sometimes they reminded him of Loki. And Thor, having already witnessed Loki’s death once knew just how precious his little brother was to him. He doesn’t want to loose Loki again.

It’s also because of that one incident on Svartalfheim that he’s told Jane that he would like to take things slow. Jane understood where he was coming from and she’d agreed to it but Thor knows that one can only wait so long.

“Earth to Thor!” Loki was waving a hand in front of his face. He catches his brother’s hand by the wrist, stopping the trickster mid wave. “I was saying, should we go now?”

Loki quickly shook Thor’s grip off him as the thunderer finished up his drink, “Let’s go. Back to my apartment then.”

The trickster follows after his brother. The rain’s subsided now and there’s no need for the hood. He walks with his hands in his jacket pockets beside Thor, their arms bumping every once in awhile as they walk close together. Loki smiles and out of the corner of his eye, Thor catches him in the midst of it, purposely bumping into him now as he walks. 

“What’s with the smile?”

“Nothing,” Loki says as he bumps Thor back equally hard, sending Thor careening into a lamppost which the thunderer quickly avoids and rights himself, catching up to him. 

“I don’t think so. There’s something you’re not telling me,” Thor says as they round the corner of the building, his apartment. 

“I’m happy,” Loki said, softly.

Thor didn’t hear him and he prompted him, “Well?” he asked as the lift came.

“It’s nothing. Really.” Loki said as he stood in the corner opposite Thor in the lift, watching his brother, shaking his head as he tried to stop smiling.

_‘I’m just happy that I’m here.’_


	3. To Town

Loki burrows down into the covers it's warm where he is, in bed. Not his bed in Asgard though…he's on Midgard now and he can hear the sound of rain muffled by the closed windows…

_'It's raining again.'_  He thinks to himself as he lies in bed, wrapped up in the warmth of the covers. Thunder rumbles softly overhead and Loki's mind flits to Thor through the haze of sleep. The trickster wonders just where Thor is. Or what his brother is doing this early on a rainy morning. He moves slowly, turning on his side, back towards the wall as he faces the door instead, looking at the room. It's small, with its own bathroom and all, a wardrobe in the corner next to the door. And its nice, a good place to call home.

The night before Thor had showed him to his new room and around the house itself. It seemed Thor was really settled in to this new place, his new home. It made Loki feel sort of sad at the thought. But what did he care? He would be gone soon enough. When he felt like it of course. The trickster pulled himself out of bed and stumbled over to the door; opening it he caught sight of the bright yellow note that was stuck on the door.

'Out. Will be back by 11. You can use my clothes in the mean time. We can look for clothes for you later. Breakfast is on the stove.'

Loki of course laughed at Thor's words; he was able to easily create a full wardrobe and also some cash here on Midgard. It would be easy for him to survive. But he took Thor's offer anyway. It would be a good chance for him to look at Thor's room. Loki moved to the door of the room next to his, letting himself into the room. It was furnished with a large bed like his, wardrobe, toilet, there was a desk that was bare save for a few bottles of cologne and a picture of Thor, Jane and Darcy. They were smiling. Well someone got attached pretty quickly…

The trickster moved away, deciding to avoid the picture. There was a television set across the bed. And Loki sat down at the edge of the bed, running his hand over the navy blue covers. It made him wonder for some reason if Thor had bedded anyone –namely Jane – yet. Again this wasn't any of his business. Loki looked through Thor's wardrobe now. It was rather bare. He had shirts hanging and those that were folded. A couple of pants and boxers and socks were there as well. Loki grabbed a shirt, pants and with a cheeky little grin he added Thor's boxers to the pile of clothes that he was going to wear.

* * *

Thor came back later on to see Loki sitting on the couch flipping through the television as he ate the doughnut that was his breakfast. Loki turned his emerald eyes to him when he entered and smirked, a chocolaty smirk, "You've got really boring channels, so I decided to upgrade the thing to have more channels," Loki said as he finished the last of the donut and licked his fingers from the chocolate. Then he stood and Thor's eyes widened. The trickster had his red boxers on and it stirred up something in Thor.

"Also," Loki said as he pulled the shirt lower, it was long enough to cover the fact that he was only in boxers and this shirt, "your pants were too large."

"And you couldn't magic some clothes up for yourself brother?" Thor asked, going to the kitchen and setting the groceries down on the counter.

"I already magicked a set of sleep wear and the clothes that I wore to Midgard yesterday," Loki said as he peered into the bags one by one, "It's a little tiring."

Thor couldn't keep his eyes from straying to the way his boxers stretched over the shape of Loki's behind when the trickster peered into the bags, making the shirt ride up the slender curve of his butt. He let his eyes linger for a little longer before he studied the trickster's long pale legs, they seemed too femininely thin.

"Thor," he was shaken from his ogling by the trickster who stood before him, "Thor I was asking you when we were going to go out. You really need to stop blanking out like that."

"I…um…" Thor seemed a little flustered for some reason and Loki realized soon enough the reason why. He felt his cheeks flush and he made a conscious effort to pull Thor's shirt down to cover himself, it made him so insecure to think that Thor had been ogling him. And he wondered just what Thor thought of him.

"We could leave now if you'd like," Thor said clearing his throat as he ran a hand through his hair, "You can go change and I'll keep the groceries."

"Never thought I'd hear you say that," Loki said chuckling as he patted Thor on the back, moving past his brother, headed back to his room to change.

The sound of the door to Loki's room closing startled Thor. He'd been ogling again, watching as Loki walked back to his room. The thunderer doubted that he would ever get the image of Loki's pale slender legs out of his mind. It definitely wasn't something that you would see from the trickster everyday. And…it was weird really how he thought that Loki's legs were beautiful. Quickly he busied himself with putting away the groceries as Jane had taught him.

_'Jane. She's the one that you're supposed to be with.'_  Thor reminded himself. And then he remembered the moment Loki had died, the trickster's face deathly white. Thor remembered how he had told Loki he loved him.

_'As a brother. A brother and nothing more.'_

Back on Asgard, that last day when Thor saw Loki, he left mainly because he wanted to give Loki the throne and also Loki said that it would be pointless if he came to Midgard with him. Thor had known that Loki always dreamed of having the throne, he knew how Loki would fight for it. He would kill thousands to be named a ruler. The thunderer didn't want his brother to become a murderer, he wanted to save him and if leaving him the throne would save Loki from the darkness, then that was what he would do. He trusted Loki well enough; he'd seen him prove that he could do more than just tricks.

_'I did it for you…'_ that's what Loki told him with his dying breath. Loki was good on his account. He did a good deed for him, helped him to save Jane's life. Maybe the trickster was changing, because of him…he doubted it though.

Loki stands, his back to the door eyes squeezed shut as he draws in deep breaths to calm himself. He doesn't know why he's so flustered over what had happened between Thor and him. Nothing actually happened.  _Nothing._  He was over reacting. Thor probably didn't even know what had happened. Everything is fine. It's normal. That's what he tried to tell himself, something he used to comfort himself because Loki knew that it wasn't fine. He knew something had changed within him. And it was all because of Thor.

Once Loki was ready and dressed this time more decently in jeans and a tee along with a jacket, the two left the house, headed for the town. They took the Underground in to town and well; Loki hadn't thought that it would be as crowded as this. He ended up being thrown into Thor's arms when the train jerked to a stop at one of the stations.

"Sorry," Loki muttered into Thor's chest when he fell.

Thor nodded. He didn't mind it. More people got on the train at this station and Thor protectively wrapped his arm around the trickster's slender waist, pulling the younger closer to him. He felt Loki tense at his touch. "Relax, brother," he muttered leaning into the corner of space that they had with Loki in his arms.

"Is it always this crowded?" Loki asked, shifting a little when he felt Thor's hands on the small of his back, arms encircling him. The gesture itself caused a slight little flutter in his pulse.

"Midgardian transport is always like this, especially now in the morning, it's close to lunch time."

"I see…" the trickster answered. It was getting a little hard to keep himself tensed up like that. He was sure to get a muscle cramp or two later. Rather cautiously he let his body relax as he leaned up against Thor, feeling his brother's warmth against his own body. The trickster found it pleasing and involuntarily let a little sigh escape from his lips.

Thor chuckled, teasing, "We've still got a few more stations Loki, don't get comfortable just yet."

"Who said I was?" Loki muttered, raising his gaze to meet Thor's in a show of defiance. "I am certainly not enjoying this." It wasn't exactly the truth.

"I certainly am," the thunderer answered, pressing a kiss to Loki's head as he inhaled the trickster's scent, he missed him. "It's not everyday I get to spend time with my little brother on Midgard."

Loki felt his cheeks heat. He would have pushed Thor away if there were more space in the tiny carriage. Instead he frowned and looked away. "I am  _not_ little. And don't flatter me. Flattery will get you nowhere. "

"I'm not," Thor said, smiling at Loki just as the train pulled in at their stop, "I truly meant it."

* * *

If he felt any happiness towards Thor's words, it was all gone now as they reached the second floor of the clothes store. Apparently the thunderer had forgotten to mention that Jane and Darcy would be here as well.

"You clearly left out some important details," Loki accused as they ascended the escalator, with a wave of his hand he made Thor stumble off the moving stairs when they came to the top.

Thor righted himself, smiling in the direction of the two Foster sisters then he looked to his brother again, a little peeved that the trickster was so childish as to trip him up like that, "Some things are better left unsaid, especially when I know that it will upset you."

"Well if you know it upsets me," Loki hissed, as he glanced sideways at Thor, "then you wouldn't have invited them or you would at least have told me."

"I did not invite them," Thor whispered back as he smiled tightly to Jane, "they offered to help," Thor muttered back to his brother as they walked over to the two ladies, "please be nice Loki."

"You should be telling that to Jane, she slapped me first back on Asgard," Loki argued.

"Well you deserved that," Thor whispered back quickly before they stopped in front of the two ladies. "Jane, Darcy," he greeted as though he hadn't just been arguing with his brother.

"Is everything alright with the two of you?" Jane asked, "I saw you whispering about something."

"Oh you know Thor, always leaving out important details," Loki said as he elbowed Thor in the side before he nodded in greeting to the two women, "I didn't know that the both of you would be coming along on our little journey. I was a bit surprised."

"Oh, were you going to bring us presents?" Darcy asked as she came up to him.

Loki shrugged, "I might have.  _If_  Thor had told me you two would be here," he said glaring accusingly at his brother.

"Didn't want you to waste money," Thor said as he led the way towards the men's section.

"I've got enough money to go around Thor, you know what I can do."

Darcy looked to him, "What can you do? Apart from destroying cities."

"And killing people," Jane added.

Loki refused to be hurt by their comments. Well Jane's for that matter. It didn't mind so much what Darcy said. "My expertise isn't just in destroying cities or killing people," he said, "for example I can do small tricks like this," he snapped his fingers and in his palm sat a stack of notes.

"How did you…" Darcy began.

"Loki, put that back," Thor said reaching to grab the cash but Loki pulled his hand back.

"It's my hard earned money Thor," he said with a little grin, "Now are we going clothes shopping or are we just going to stand here and argue like a bunch of kids?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and do leave a comment! I'll see you in the next chapter :)


	4. Exploring Midgard

Loki stared at himself in the mirror. He definitely wasn’t going to wear this. No.

“Are you going to come out?” it was Darcy. She seemed to think that he was her own personal servant who tried on all the clothes for her or something.

He opened the door, looking to Darcy and Jane who sat next to her sister, playing a game on her phone. “I look like a plant,” he said indicating the floral shirt. 

“You look like a hunk who stepped off the covers of a beach magazine,” the dark haired girl gushed as he smiled at him. Darcy was the exact opposite of Jane that was for sure. She was bubbly and friendly and easy to get along with, she also didn’t hold a grudge against him for putting her lover in danger.

“I don’t need to look like one of your Midgardian men…I am Loki, I am greater.” 

Darcy giggled, then imitated his voice, “I am greater.”

He rolled his eyes, “Really. Does she always behave like this?” Loki asked, looking to Thor as his brother approached.

Thor nodded, “ Sometimes worse,” he said, then handed the trickster a two piece shirt and vest couple, “this suits you better.”

Loki took it and went back into the changing room. Smart casual. Not bad. Thor did have an eye for clothes. With that done, he changed back into his usual clothes then they paid and left the store with two bags full.

Out on the sidewalk Jane announced, “I’ve got reservations for two at a restaurant,” she said, “Thor and I were going to have lunch together.”

“Oh, is that so?” Loki said, perfectly hiding his disappointment, “In that case Darcy will show me around, won’t you Darcy?” he asked.

She nodded, “Yeah sure. We can get you a new phone whilst we’re at it. I’ve got this cool store you need to check out.”

Thor was torn now, he’d completely forgotten about the lunch date with Jane. He felt like he was missing out on Loki getting settled in on Midgard, he was supposed to be there for him, instead he was letting Darcy do the job for him. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright?” Thor asked as he handed the house keys to Loki when they were saying their goodbyes.

“Please, I’m not the one who always gets burns on his hand while trying out new spells,” Loki said as he took one of the clothes bags from Thor adding it to the one he was already carrying, “I’ll be fine. You just have fun on your little date with your lady friend. Put in a good word or two for me,” Loki added, throwing Thor further off his trail, “I wouldn’t mind having another friend.”

“I will,” Thor said as he watched Loki and Darcy walking down the street in the opposite direction from where he and Jane were going.

* * *

“Did you miss him?” Darcy asked him as they walked down the street each holding a bag from the clothes store and a hotdog that they’d bought from a road vendor.

Loki’s brow arched up in question as he swallowed his food before speaking. “Miss him? What kind of question is that?”

She shrugged, “I dunno,” she said, wiping mustard sauce from the corner of her mouth before she continued, “I mean you were in space for two weeks and all. And space and earth are far apart. You can’t just zap yourself here or something whenever you wanted.” 

The trickster shook his head, “Firstly I do not live in space. The place Thor and I come from…well Thor more so…is called Asgard. And secondly, yes. I can ‘zap’ myself wherever I wanted.”

Darcy’s eyes widened, “Really?” she said, a little garbled as she stuffed the last bit of the hotdog into he mouth. “Thor always comes by that huge light beam thing that always leaves a mark on the ground.”

Again Loki felt the urge to roll his eyes, he figured explaining wasn’t going to be an option so instead he offered to show her. He left her side, going to get a takeaway Vienna Coffee from the café that he’d visited yesterday with Thor before he popped back in at Darcy’s side, a cup of the Vienna Coffee in hand

“Ta da,” he said and took a sip of the coffee.

She gave him a little applause, “Bravo, bravo,” she cheered, “I’m assuming only Loki the great can do that?”

He laughed, Darcy was a really funny person, “You can say that.”

“Come on, let’s go get you your phone. Using a legal method that is,” Darcy added she knew Loki would much rather snap a phone into his hands without having to pay for it.

* * *

They were on to dessert now and Thor, though he held up his end of the conversation with Jane, just couldn’t find the interest in having lunch with her. And he didn’t know why. It wasn’t unpleasant, he did enjoy her company but just not as much as before.

“How are things with you and your brother?” she asked, taking a scoop of strawberry ice cream.

“He is good. Getting settled in at the apartment. I gave him the spare room.”

“And you’re sure…” she trailed of, fiddling with her spoon as she contemplated on what to say next.

Thor already knew what she was getting it, “All will be safe Jane. I promise. My brother will not do such a thing again.”

“I’m sorry…but…how can you stand it? Knowing that your brother might destroy you just like that?”

“I trust him. He saved you Jane and I am thankful that he did.”

She averted her eyes, “I didn’t even get to thank him after he…” Jane didn’t finish her sentence, it would hurt Thor to mention Loki’s death.

“You can thank him later when we drop by the apartment,” the thunderer said as they stood now to leave the restaurant.

He got a surprise when he stepped out of the restaurant though. His phone was ringing. Thor looked to Jane, showing her the screen that said ‘Unknown’.

“Must be your brother,” Jane said, “Darcy was going to get him a new phone.”

With that in mind, Thor answered the call. 

“Thooorrr,” Loki’s voice purred over the line in a greeting, “Can you hear me?”

“Yes,” Thor answered a smile on his lips. Loki was excited about the phone he could tell, “how are you?”

_“Fine. Darcy and I had hotdogs with mustard for lunch.”_

“That’s good. I had steak, salad and some wine.”

_“Your lady friend is rich now isn’t she?”_

Thor chuckled, “I know she has great taste in food,” he said and beside him Jane grinned, pressing close to him. 

_“I’m headed back home soon, I’ll see you later?”_

“Yes brother, Jane will be dropping by though.”

_“Oh. Okay.”_

“If you don’t mind that is,” Thor added quickly.

_“Why would I? She’s your girlfriend. Well see you later Thor.”_

Then the line went dead.

* * *

“Thanks Ian!” Darcy said as he hugged the phone shop guy, “See you some time!”

Loki slipped his new phone into the pocket of his jacket, “Do you always have to go around doing that?” the trickster asked. He noticed that Darcy seemed to like hugging.

“It’s a sort of a gesture when you meet someone or when you say goodbye I guess?” Darcy said shrugging as they headed back to the Underground.

“So I can hug anybody?”

“Yeah I guess? As long as you’re close to them?” Darcy said giving him a weird little look, “What do you space people do when you greet each other anyway?” 

“This,” Loki said and reached to clasp her arm, “and you’re supposed to do the same.”

“Well we both learned something new today.”

* * *

Thor got the shock of his life when he returned home later that evening and Loki came to him of his own accord, awkwardly pulling him into his arms and hugging him. The trickster’s emerald eyes looking up to him as his slender arms wound around his body, “Darcy said hugging someone is a form of greeting them,” he said in explanation to his gesture, “and it only applies to people you are close to…” he heard Loki whisper.

Thor hugs him back, “How nice of you to greet me brother,” he mutters, a smile on his lips as he hugs the trickster back, arms around Loki’s waist as he presses the younger to him. Loki has never voluntarily hugged him, not since a long time ago. He feels the younger tense in his arms now as Jane enters the house.

“Why the sudden change in greeting though?” Thor asks, as Loki pulls away from him, moving to close the door once Jane had entered.

“I thought it best to follow Midgardian customs since we are on Midgard after all,” Loki answered.


	5. Sweet Mornings

Dinner was a quick affair, they ordered pizza and after that the two Foster sisters helped with the cleaning up. Darcy taught Loki more about how to use his phone and all and the time soon came for them to leave.

“You have to watch at least one of the horror shows by tonight okay?” Darcy said before she left, “I’m going to quiz you about it tomorrow okay?” she said.

“I wouldn’t mind, that is if Thor will have to watch it too,” Loki said glancing to his brother who had apparently just pulled away from Jane, breaking the kiss. Something about that gnawed at his heart.

“If I must,” the thunderer added as he held Jane in his arms now, the Midgardian woman leaning against his chest.

“Definitely, that show’s a must watch,” Jane murmured as she leaned up on tiptoes and kissed him again, “if you can’t sleep I’m just a phone call away,” she added just as she was dragged to the lift lobby by Darcy.

Thor was a little surprised that Loki was handling this so well, him and Jane, kissing like that. He wanted Loki to say something, at least make a snarky comment or something along those lines just like he’d used to. The thunderer doesn’t know if this means that Loki has accepted him and Jane being together and if that’s so…then…he should feel glad about it shouldn’t he? 

“So, how about a shower and then we watch the show?” Loki asked as he looked through the stack of movies that Darcy had supplied him with, they were rentals from a shop.

Thor sat next to Loki looking at the movies, “Which one do you want to see?”

“This,” Loki said holding out one of the movies.

“The Conjuring,” Thor read, “sounds like something you’d like.”

“Exactly. So see you out here later?”

Thor nodded then they parted ways.

Once they were freshened up after a nice warm shower, Loki showed up at the couch in the living room in his green drawstring pants and a tee shirt. Thor was dressed in pretty much the same thing save for that fact that his pants were a dark blue. Thor set the movie disc into the DVD player thing and then after fiddling around for a while with some buttons, the movie played. Loki turned down the lights from where he sat on the couch; he figured horror films would be better if the room was dark.

Through the course of the film, Thor realized that the trickster had stopped making comments on how stupid the show was. When he looked over, he ended up smiling; Loki had ended up falling asleep. The trickster was curled up at one corner of the couch. Like a cat. His heart warmed at the sight. Loki must’ve been tired from today’s walk around with Darcy, knowing her she’d probably dragged Loki around from store to store without any rest.

The longer Thor looked, the stronger his urge to shift Loki to sleep on his chest grew. The thunderer reaches over lightly brushing Loki’s fringe from his face. His heart is racing and he’s nervous as he moves Loki, gently pulling the younger god against him. He freezes when he feels Loki stirring in his sleep, he doesn’t want to wake the trickster up.

“Mmph Thor…” Loki mutters in his sleep and Thor strokes his hand up and down Loki’s back, soothing the trickster, "Shhh, it’s okay. It’s me. I'm here brother," he whispers feeling Loki snuggle into his arms as they settle back down on the couch. Thor reaches out and turns the television off. The silence of the night settles in around them. It has been awhile since they have fallen asleep like this together and Thor realises that he misses it. He just never knew how much until now.  

“I’m so glad you’re still here brother. I’m so glad you're alive,” he mutters pressing his lips to Loki’s dark hair. “I thought I lost you for good…don’t ever do such a trick like that again Loki.”

Thor closes his eyes, satisfied at feeling Loki’s warm body in his arms. As he drifts off to sleep Thor listens to Loki’s breathing and he knows that the trickster is well and truly alive.

* * *

The next morning, Loki awakens to warmth and as he tries to move he realises that he cannot. It’s a tight confined space. He doesn’t quite remember what happed. As he opens his eyes he remembers that he’d fallen asleep in the living room on the couch. Curious at the source of warmth beneath him, he lifts his head and sees Thor. He's sleeping in the thunderer's arms. How that happened he didn’t remember. Loki remembers that they were watching a horror film the night before. It was boring. To think that was horror...clearly Midgardians hadn't seen the world.

He’s promised himself that he will not interfere with what Thor and Jane have, after all if they are happy then…he would be happy too or so he’d like to tell himself. But when Thor went and did stuff like this, making him sleep in his arms…Loki decided that he would take what he could. He did after all enjoy his brother’s company a lot. And after seeing Thor’s pain at his death…well…he’d changed…

Loki rets his chin on Thor's chest watching his brother sleep, feeling the rise and fall of the thunderer’s chest as he breathed in and out. He found himself smiling at the memory of when he was younger and still always woke up before Thor. He would lie in bed and watch the young thunderer sleeping beside him. Then he would sneak away to practice early without waking Thor up and Thor would come in late and get punished by the tutor. To which Loki will always ended up laughing at him. But then after their practice ended and Thor had to stay back for his punishment, Loki stayed with him through it all.

Cerulean blue eyes opened and gazed at him, a lazy smile forming on Thor's lips upon seeing him before the thunderer closed his eyes again.

"You’re still the early riser Loki," Thor grumbled as he shifted a little nearly falling off the small couch.

The trickster stifled a giggle at that. Clearly the couch was too cramped for the two of them to move around, "Bed?" he asked.

And Thor grunted in response, "Mine."

Loki teleported them to Thor's bed and Thor pushed him down beneath him, switching their positions. This was so that the thunderer now slept on his chest instead, his stubbled cheek a tad bit ticklish against his chest through the thin material of his shirt.

"What are we going to do today?" Loki asked as he awkwardly settled his hands at his sides not sure where he should place them and if he should stroke Thor's hair or back or both.

"Don’t know...sleep..." Thor muttered his leg moving to trap Loki in place.

He rolled his eyes, "Thor I can still teleport away," Loki said

“You have no intention of doing that,” Thor said, his hand resting on Loki’s chest now, just a preventive measure, telling him to stay. He didn’t want Loki to go. Not just yet.  

No, Loki didn’t want to leave.  _‘How would you know?’_ he wanted to say. Instead Loki fell silent.

"How about the library?" Thor suggested.

“Are you bribing me to stay in bed?” Loki asked, just the ridiculousness of it made him smile. “It would be nice though…visiting the Midgardian library. I’m sure they have a ton of interesting books to read.”

He could hear the happiness at the suggestion radiating through Loki's voice. And it made Thor just as happy, "Good…we’ll go but only if we stay like this awhile more."

“You must be mad…” Loki muttered but silently agreed as he stayed there, beneath Thor, settling his hands around the thunderer, one in the elder’s golden hair the other resting on his back and holding him close. The trickster closed his eyes and tried to endure this for a while more. It wasn’t too bad really having Thor in his arms. The thunderer was warm and Loki missed being this close to Thor. Involuntarily he realised that his fingers were gently combing through Thor’s hair as his brother slept.

Midgard wasn’t too bad if you had someone else at your side to accompany you. Maybe he might just stay here…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry for not updating in awhile I've been caught up in writing another Thorki series for Christmas, the first chapter will be released then I'm really looking forward to that. It's all about berserker Thor :) I'm enjoying creating the story so far and I do hope that when I post it, that you guys will enjoy it too! Do leave a comment to let me know what you thought of this latest chapter and I'll see you guys soon!


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